Mr Lambert and Mrs Theobald arrived at the hospital on January 31 as part of the first group of 83 British evacuees.

He told Sky News' Kay Burley on Monday: "It's quite weird being home but not being home, and also being locked in - almost like being back in Wuhan really - where we can't get outside certain perimeters and go further, so it's a bit of a weird feeling really."

Mr Lambert said that, out of the original group, no-one was showing any coronavirus symptoms or complaining about feeling unwell.

"Everybody is in good spirits," he said. "As you can imagine, it's not the best of circumstances but we're all trying to keep our spirits high.

"We're playing jokes on each other, we're having a laugh when we have the chance to see each other."

Members of staff at the hospital could be seen unloading children's toys as well as games consoles when preparing for the first group of arrivals on Friday.